Note:All aviation accidents are investigated by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB). Each occurrence is assigned a level, from1 to5, which indicates the depth of investigation. Class5 investigations consist of data collection pertaining to occurrences that do not meet the criteria of classes1 through4, and will be recorded for possible safety analysis, statistical reporting, or archival purposes. The narratives below, which occurred between November 1, 2007, and January 31, 2008, are all "Class5," and are unlikely to be followed by a TSB Final Report.

On November 3, 2007, the pilot of a TurboLancair4P had departed Springbank, Alta., on a local flight. As the flight was returning to the airport, the engine began to lose power. The pilot attempted to switch tanks, but had problems with the fuel selector valve, and decided to attempt a forced landing in a farm field. Shortly after touchdown, the aircraft contacted a ravine and was substantially damaged. The pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. TSB File A07W0191.

On November 4, 2007, an ultralightLincolnUltraSport took off from a field for a local recreational flight. The pilot was the only occupant on board. The aircraft lost power in level flight, approximately 200 ft above ground level (AGL). The pilot banked right and headed to the field where he had taken off. Shortly after the turn, at approximately 45ft AGL, the aircraft nosed over and crashed into a business parking lot. The pilot died after the accident. The site of the accident is approximately 800 ft from the field where he took off. Weather conditions were favourable for conducting a visual flight rules (VFR) flight. TSB File A07Q0225.

On November 6, 2007, an Agusta A119 helicopter was on a flight from Helena,Montana, to Riverton,Wyoming, with the pilot and three passengers on board. About 25NM southeast of Cody, Wyoming, the pilot decided to land on a mountaintop at an elevation of 11 900 ft to allow the passengers to stretch their legs. When descending through about 100 ft AGL, the pilot heard the low rotor rpm warning horn and lowered the collective. The helicopter impacted the ground hard, resulting in collapsed skid gear and a tail rotor strike. An emergency was called in and the pilot and passengers were rescued by a Montana Air National Guard Blackhawk helicopter. The pilot suffered a hairline fracture of a vertebrae, and the three passengers were uninjured. The engine was returned to the manufacturer for testing, and it revealed some free turbine rpm (Nf) and gas generator rpm (Ng) instability pointing to a possible issue with the fuel control unit (FCU). TSB File A07F0194.

On November 7, 2007, a Beechcraft200 was on approach to Toronto/City Centre Airport,Ont., when the landing gear was selected down. The right main and nose landing gears extended, but the left main landing gear remained retracted. After three fly-bys next to the tower, the left main landing gear was confirmed to have remained in the retracted position. The flight crew decided to return to Toronto/Lester B. Pearson Airport and Toronto ATC was advised of the emergency situation. Emergency vehicles were standing by for the landing. The aircraft landed on Runway15L and the flight crew minimized aircraft damage by maintaining aircraft weight on the nose and right main gear after touchdown. The aircraft came to a stop on the centerline of the runway, resting on the bottom of the right engine’s nacelle. There was no fire and both crew exited the aircraft with no reported injuries. TSBFileA07O0300.

On November 10, 2007, a DiamondDV20 departed Runway33 at the Fredericton,N.B., airport for a first solo circuit. The pilot reported downwind and final for Runway33. After touchdown, the aircraft bounced heavily then veered left and off the runway surface. It continued across the grass and into an irrigation ditch that runs parallel to the runway. The aircraft crossed the ditch and contacted a wall of turf on the opposite side. The impact was sufficient to activate the emergency locator transmitter (ELT) and compromise the aircraft fuselage and empennage. The flight service specialist activated the crash alarm; upon arrival at the scene, emergency personnel advised an ambulance was necessary. The pilot was seriously injured and transported to hospital by ambulance. TSB File A07A0133.

On November 14, 2007, a Cessna 172 took off from the Saint-Hubert,Que., airport for a local flight. While the aircraft was on approach for Runway24L, the controller informed the pilot that winds were from 200º at 15kt, gusting to 22 kt. The aircraft landed with its flaps at 40°. The aircraft bounced after the wheels touched down, then nosed over. The nose wheel broke off and the front landing gear bent backward. The front landing gear, propeller and engine sustained major damages. The pilot was not injured. TSB File A07Q0235.

On November 22, 2007, a EurocopterAS350B-2 helicopter departed the airstrip at Silver Spruce camp (80NM north of Goose Bay, N.L.) in day visual meteorological conditions (VMC) with the pilot on board, slinging four drums of fuel in a net on an 80-ft longline. At approximately 200yd northwest of the strip, and at 150 ft AGL and 40kt, the pilot recognized that he had reached the right lateral cyclic control stop without the expected disk response in roll attitude. The pilot attempted twice to physically achieve more right lateral cyclic input, but without success. The pilot turned back toward the strip in a slow right turn; however, at about 100yd back on short final at about 150 ft and 40kt, the nose suddenly dropped and the aircraft entered a rapid, right spiral and descended quickly. Despite full aft and left cyclic input, the pilot was unable to control the nosedown attitude or right turn. However, just before impact with the ground, the helicopter leveled somewhat and struck the ground on the right skid and fuselage, before coming to rest on its left side. Immediately after the nose dropped, the cockpit warning horn sounded and remained on until silenced by the pilot on the ground. After impact with the ground, the pilot shut down the still-running engine, turned off the battery master, and escaped the cockpit with minor injuries. There was no fire and the emergency locator transmitter (ELT) activated on impact. During the brief flight, the sling load was not erratic and flew normally beneath the helicopter with no oscillation. It was revealed that the longline had inadvertently wrapped around the rear of the left skid during the departure. TSB File A07A0137.

On November 22, 2007, an AmericanAviationAA-1B was en route from Marathon,Ont., to Thunder Bay,Ont. At an altitude of approximately 4 500 ft, the engine began to run rough. The pilot then successfully completed a precautionary landing on a dirt road near Hurkett,Ont. After completing an inspection of the aircraft, the pilot decided to take off. During the take-off roll, directional control of the aircraft was lost and the aircraft veered off the left side of the road and collided with the ditch. The pilot was not injured and the aircraft sustained substantial damage. It was reported that the dirt road was snow- and ice-packed. TSB File A07C0216.

On November 30, 2007, a PiperPA-24-260Comanche was landing on Runway 28 at Carp, Ont. During the approach and landing, the landing gear was inadvertently left in the retracted position, resulting in the aircraft landing wheels up. The aircraft came to rest approximately three-quarters of the way down and to the north of Runway 28. The aircraft was lifted and the landing gear was successfully pulled down and locked. There were no injuries. TSB File A07O0318.

On December 21, 2007, after landing long at Valcourt, Que., the pilot of a Beechcraft BE23 was unable to brake the aircraft, which became stuck in the snow at the end of the runway. The occupants were not injured. The left wing sustained major damage. The runway was 90 percent snow-covered. The same aircraft was involved in a runway excursion on October 26, 2007 (A07Q0217). This was the aircraft’s first flight since undergoing repairs. TSB File A07Q0252.

On December 22, 2007, the pilot of a ski-equipped Norman Aviation Nordic VI was executing touch-and-go manoeuvres. On the third landing, the aircraft slid on the soft snow as it reduced speed. The skis sunk into the snow and the aircraft overturned. The occupants were not injured, but the aircraft sustained damages to the propeller, engine cowl and left wing ribs. TSB File A07Q0253.

On December 26, 2007, a Cessna 177B was landing at night on Runway 09 at Corman Air Park, Sask. The aircraft landed on the left side of the runway and the left main gear entered the snow alongside of the runway. The aircraft veered to the left and the nose gear collapsed in the snow. The pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. TSB File A07C0237.

On January 4, 2008, a Robinson 44 helicopter, with two passengers on board, was flying low over Lac des Deux Montagnes, Que. At approximately 16:00 EDT, the helicopter struck the frozen surface of the lake. The helicopter sustained major damages and the three occupants suffered serious injuries. Local weather observations included a visibility of 15 mi., scattered clouds at 2 500 ft, and a covered ceiling at 4 800 ft. TSB File A08Q0001.

On January 5, 2008, an ultralight Cumulus, approximately 4 mi. south of Dolbeau, Que., took off with only the pilot on board, to conduct a recreational flight. On the take-off roll, the aircraft abruptly nosed up, then took off. Then, during the initial climb, the ultralight aircraft veered and nosed over before crashing into the frozen surface of the river. The aircraft sustained major damages and the pilot suffered fatal injuries. TSB File A08Q0002.

On January 18, 2008, a Beech 95-B55 Baron was on the landing roll on Runway 26 at Red Lake, Ont., when the landing gear was unintentionally retracted. The pilot was not injured and the aircraft sustained substantial damage. The operator will investigate the occurrence by way of its safety management system (SMS). TSB File A08C0007.

On January 21, 2008, a DHC-2 MK.1 Beaver was landing at a private airstrip near Montney, B.C., following a local flight. The main landing gear struck a snow bank short of the runway, and the aircraft slid to a stop on the runway with substantial damage to the landing gear, propeller, and engine cowling. There were no injuries to the pilot, who was the only person on board. Flat light conditions existed at the time of the occurrence. TSB File A08W0017.

On January 24, 2008, a Van’s RV9 departed Delta Heritage Air Park, B.C., for a flight up the Fraser Valley and was returning to Delta Heritage Air Park. While on final, the pilot was unable to retard the throttle enough to complete the landing, and he overshot to attempt a second approach. While turning from base to final, the pilot needed more power but it was not available due to a stuck and unresponsive throttle. The pilot aborted the turn onto final, leveled the wings and went through a wire fence. The aircraft eventually settled enough that the main gear impacted the far side of a deep ditch and was torn back. The aircraft came to rest on its belly just past the ditch, and was substantially damaged. There were no injuries. TSB File A08P0024.

On January 25, 2008, an HS 748-2A aircraft was being prepared for a flight from Vancouver, B.C., to Smithers, B.C. As the captain was performing his preflight walk-around inspection, he found that the left elevator was substantially damaged. The aircraft had been parked overnight at Gate 18. A maintenance engineer had performed an inspection of the aircraft the previous day, and had determined that the left elevator was undamaged at that time. The damage is consistent with the aircraft being struck by a vehicle. TSB File A08P0028.

On January 26, 2008, a Cessna 152, with an instructor and student on board, was on its way back from the training area south of the Jean Lesage International Airport in Québec City, Que. While the aircraft was over the Québec City bridge, on final for Runway 30, the flight crew detected a loss of power. They tried several times, in vain, to regain power. The aircraft continued to lose altitude. Seeing that they could not reach the airport, the flight crew attempted an emergency landing on the Duplessis highway. As the pilot attempted to avoid an automobile while landing, the right main wheel became stuck in a snowbank and the aircraft came to rest on the side of a ditch, overturned. The instructor and student got out of the aircraft. The instructor was taken to the hospital as a precautionary measure. The aircraft did not catch on fire. TSB File A08Q0020.

On January 30, 2008, a Eurocopter AS350BA was conducting training at the Springbank, Alta., airport. The first training exercise was a simulated hydraulic failure. The exercise was being conducted in the circuit for Runway 16. The first two simulations were successful. On the third attempt, the forward speed decayed to 0 kt at approximately 10 ft AGL. During the attempt to regain forward speed, the trainee (flying from the right seat) lost control of the helicopter and the helicopter came to rest on its left side just east of the threshold for Runway 16. The training pilot and trainee exited the helicopter with no injuries and there was no post-impact fire. The simulated loss of hydraulics exercise was performed according to the aircraft flight manual (AFM). The console hydraulic test switch was depressed and the helicopter slowed to 60 kt. The console switch was selected off and the hydraulic cutoff switch on the right side collective was then activated. When control was lost, it was not feasible for the instructor to reach over and turn the hydraulics back on. Prior to departure, the hydraulic accumulators did not pass the pre-flight check. The helicopter was shutdown and maintenance recharged and balanced the accumulators in accordance with maintenance instructions based on the outside air temperature (OAT)of -19°C. The helicopter was released by maintenance and the hydraulic check was successfully completed on the subsequent pre-flight check. TSB File A08W0025.

On January 31, 2008, a Hughes 369D helicopter was conducting a wildlife survey approximately 20 NM south of Empress, Alta. During touchdown, the tail rotor struck the ground, resulting in a loss of rotational control. The pilot reduced the collective immediately and the helicopter landed heavily but remained upright. There was substantial damage to the tail rotor, tail rotor drive train, tail boom, and skid gear. The pilot and observer were uninjured. TSB File A08W0027.